Skidproof traction mat for automotive vehicles

ABSTRACT

A traction pad for an automotive vehicle having pneumatic tires, that comprises a flat, flexible mat formed with transverse treads on its upper surface. Studs embedded in the mat extend out of the smooth bottom surface of the mat for engagement with a slippery roadway. The mat is rectangular and has long beveled side and end edges to provide an incline on which the wheel can roll. Each stud has a cylindrical body with a reduced diameter cylindrical pin portion extending outwardly axially of one end thereof. Ridges are provided on the bottom surface between rows of protruding stud pin portions to cooperate with the studs in holding the mat in place on the roadway. The ridges elevate the pin portions from the carpet on the floor of the vehicle when the pad is stored thereover and being used as mat thereupon. Draglines may be attached to an end of the mat.

ilnited Sat-tee atertt Preisier 5] Feb.8,i972

1541 SKIDPROOF TRACTION MAT FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES [21 Appl. No.:36,806

[52] US. Cl .238/14, ISO/90.6, 296/] F [51] Int. Cl. ....B62d 55/08,EOlb 23/00 [58] FieldofSeax-ch ..238/l4;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,339,612 5/1920 Wilkins..238/14 3,125,147 3/1964 Hakka.. 1,425,101 8/1922 Jury ..238/143,350,013 10/1967 Bergquist ..23 3/14 1,082,449 12/1913 Smith ....238/14FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 5/1966 Canada ..l52/2l0 12/1965GreatBritajn ..l52/2l0 Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point AssistantExaminerRichard A. Bertsch Attorney-Polachek & Saulsbury {5 7] ABSTRACTA traction pad for an automotive vehicle having pneumatic tires, thatcomprises a flat, flexible mat formed with transverse treads on itsupper surface. Studs embedded in the mat extend out of the smooth bottomsurface of the mat for engagement with a slippery roadway. The mat isrectangular and has long beveled side and end edges to provide anincline on which the wheel can roll. Each stud has a cylindrical bodywith a reduced diameter cylindrical pin portion extending outwardlyaxially of one end thereof. Ridges are provided on the bottom surfacebetween rows of protruding stud pin portions to cooperate with the studsin holding the mat in place on the roadway. The ridges elevate the pinportions from the carpet on the floor of the vehicle when the pad isstored thereover and being used as mat thereupon. Draglines may beattached to an end of the mat.

3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures Pmmimw 8 @2112 3540,4555

SHEEF 1 BF 2 ATTDAWEYS PAIENTEBFEB 8 m2 3540.459

SHEEY 2 BF 2 II-IVENTOR. SAMUEL L. PRIESLER ATTURNE .5

SKIDPROOIF TRACTION MAT FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES This invention concernsimproved traction pads especially adapted for putting under wheels of avehicle for extricating the driving wheels of the vehicle from ruts inmud, snow, sand, ice, and the like or slippery roadway.

Traction pads, heretofore, known have been formed with rubber treadswhich fail to penetrate the ground sufficiently, or which fail to obtaina nonslip grip upon the ground. Some traction pads have rathercomplicated structures which are difficult and costly to manufacture.Others have treads which are subject to tearing of? or to wear, andwhich cannot be replaced, thus making the traction pad unusable.

The present invention is directed at overcoming the above and otherdifficulties and disadvantages of prior traction pads. A new andimproved pad is provided which can be economically manufactured, andwhich provides improved traction to extricate a vehicle from a slipperyroad condition where driving traction has been lost. According to theinvention, there is provided a flexible molded rubber or plastic padhaving beveled side and end edges on which the vehicle wheel can roll onthe top surface of the pad. The top of the pad has traction ridges ortreads which engage the tire of a vehicle in a friction grip. The bottomsurface of the pad has a multiplicity of spaced and staggered studsprojecting downwardly to engage in the slippery surface of the roadway.One or more draglines can be attached between the pad and the frame of avehicle while the vehicle rests on the pad. The weight of the vehicleforces the studs into the ground to effect positive traction so that thevehicle can be driven quickly and safely out of a slippery hole ordepression in a roadway. The pad can be stored on the vehicle carpetwithout harm to the carpet and used as a mat thereupon.

Other and further features, objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken togetherwith the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a traction pad embodying the inventionshown disposed under a rear vehicle wheel on a slippery roadway.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the pad taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of thetraction pad taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the traction pad and thedragline.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top perspective view of two pads joined togetherin tandem relationship by their draglines.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of one of the traction studs.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a traction pad inupright position using a modified stud.

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of the modified stud free of the pad.

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the traction stud taken on line9-9 ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the pad being used as a floorcover in the front compartment of a vehicle.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a rectangular tractionpad or mat 20 located on a slippery roadway 24. The pad is disposedunder the wheel 23 of a vehicle 25 such as an automobile. The pneumatictire 26 bears on top of the pad. The sides and ends 32 of the pad havethe inclined surfaces 33, 34. The construction of the pad is shown tobest advantage in FIGS. 3-7 to which reference is now made.

This pad or mat is flat, flexible and elastic, being made of natural orartificial rubber, a synthetic elastomer, or a resilient plastic, moldedinto a one-piece body and generally rectangular in plan view. End andlateral edges 32 of the mat are beveled inwardly from the upper surface35 to the bottom surface 36. The upper surface is formed with amultiplicity of transversely extending ridges or treads 38 to improvetraction. The bottom surface 36 of the mat is smooth but is formed withintegral, resilient, parallel, transverse ridges 39.

The pad 20 further comprises a multiplicity of rigid studs 40 embeddedin the body of the mat and protrude from the bottom surface 36. As bestshown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, each stud 40 has a cylindrical body 42 and areduced diameter cylindrical pin portion 44 that extends axiallyoutwardly from the bottom surface as. The pin has a flat outer, free end45. A radial annular flange 48 is formed as a head on the other end ofbody 42. The body and flange of each stud are embedded in a hole 50 inthe mat. Pin portion 44 extends outwardly perpendicularly to the flatbottom surface 36. Ends of the pin portions are almost coplanar with thebottoms of ridges 39 as shown in FIG. 3.

An eyebolt or rivet 52 can be secured in a hole 54 at each corner of theupper surface of the mat for securing by a loop 53 a dragline 56thereto. The dragline can terminate in a book 58 for engaging a rearbumper 62 of the vehicle 25 as shown in FIG. ll. Two similar draglinescan be provided if desired as shown in FIG. 5. The draglines will holdthe mat in place while the tire 26 rolls forwardly off the mat and willpull the mat along with the vehicle.

The mat is made by any conventional rubber or plastic molding process.The beveled edges 33, 34, and ridges or treads 33, 39 are all integrallyformed on the top and bottom surfaces. In addition a multiplicity ofholes 50 are formed which originally have diameters substantially equalto those of reduced diameter cylindrical pin portions 44 of the studs40. By the use of suitable dilators or Spreaders the holes aretemporarily expanded and the studs are inserted axially in the expandedholes. The spreaders are removed and the resilient, elastic material ofthe mat contracts around the studs leaving only the pin portions 44projecting axially from the smooth bottom surface 36. The studs aredisposed in rows and in spaced staggered array with each other. Thesestuds will dig into the slippery ground under the weight of a vehicle,and in addition the flat bottom of the mat will stick by suction to theslippery ground, to enable the vehicle to be driven quickly and safelyunder its own power, out of any depression or slippery surface in whichit may be stuck. Ridges 39 will be somewhat flattened by the weight ofthe vehicle, but will cooperate with the studs in holding the pad inplace on the ground.

The pad 20 is placed under the wheel 23 by disposing the pad at thefront of the wheel. One beveled end edge will be wedged between the tireand the ground. When the wheel is turned, the pad will be pulled and thetire will ride up the inclined surface and the studs 40 will be forcedinto the ground. Ridges 39 will cooperate with the studs in holding thepad in place. The pad will remain stationary while the wheel 23 rollsoff the pad. If a second pad is needed for along slippery surfacedraglines 56 as shown in FIG. 5 can join two pads 20 together in tandemrelationship.

The pad is flexible enough to be rolled up. Alternatively it can bestored in the trunk of an automobile, or it can be placed on the floorinside the vehicle forward of the front or rear seats to serve as a mat.The lateral beveled edges 33 extend down to the floor of the vehicle.There, the pad will serve as a protector for the floor covering. Thebottom surface ridges 39 will help to keep the stud pin portion 44 fromcutting into the floor covering. The draglines are attached to thevehicle, and the pad can be quickly and easily placed under the slippingwheel which lacks driving traction.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show an alternate form of stud 40a in which cylindricalbody 42a has circumferential grooves and ridges 70, 72 to lock in a hole50a in the mat 35a of pad 20a. Pin portion 44 has a flat end face 45 andextends outwardly of the flat bottom surface 36 of mat 350 as shown inFIG. 7.

If the pin portion 44 of a stud 40 or 40a should become damaged or worn,the hole 50 or 500 can be spread with the spreader and the remainingstud can be pulled out of the hole. Another new stud can be inserted inthe hole as it is spread and then the spreader will be removed tocomplete the repair. The flexible, elastic material will close aroundthe new stud and will lock it in place as it did with the worn stud.

The pads 20 described can be manufactured at relatively low cost by massproduction machinery and methods. The pads will give long, trouble-freesatisfactory service, and will improve the safety of automotive vehicleoperation. The pads can be manufactured in different sizes. Larger padsand studs will be used for vehicles of heavier weights. The tractionpads can be used by many types of wheeled vehicles such as trucks andbuses in addition to automobiles.

What is claimed is:

l. A traction pad for an automotive vehicle having pneumatic tires,comprising a flat, flexible mat made of elastic, resilient material,said mat having flat top and bottom surfaces with a multiplicity ofstaggered, blind holes formed in the bottom of the mat, said mat beingformed with integral, resilient, transverse, parallel ridges on the topsurface of frictionally engaging a tire; a multiplicity of rigid studspartially embedded in the holes respectively in the bottom of the mat,each stud having an axial length less than the thickness of the mat forseating in a hole therein, each stud having a head at one end, acylindrical body integral with the head, and an integral pin portion ofreduced diameter extending axially outward of the cylindrical body, saidstuds being partially inserted in said holes with the heads and bodiesremovably engaged in the holes and with the ends of the pin portionsextending out of the bottom surface of the mat for digging into andgripping the ground under the weight of the vehicle on the mat; and aplurality of other integral, resilient, transverse parallel ridges onthe bottom surface of the mat between said pin portions of the studs,ends of the pin portions being substantially coplanar with said otherridges for cooperation therewith in holding the mat stationary onslipper ground, said ridges being compressible so that the flat bottomsurface of the mat between the studs grips the ground by suction whenthe weight of the vehicle rests on the mat.

2. A traction pad as defined in claim 1, wherein said mat is rectangularin plan and has beveled upper end edges slanted outwardly from the topto bottom surfaces to facilitate driving the vehicle on and off the mat,said mat further having lateral beveled edges for snugly fitting on thefloor of the interior of the vehicle when the mat is stored thereon.

3. A traction pad as defined in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body ofeach stud is formed with circumferential grooves and further ridges tolock the studs in the holes in the mat.

1. A traction pad for an automotive vehicle having pneumatic tires,comprising a flat, flexible mat made of elastic, resilient material,said mat having flat top and bottom surfaces with a multiplicity ofstaggered, blind holes formed in the bottom of the mat, said mat beingformed with integral, resilient, transverse, parallel ridges on the topsurface for frictionally engaging a tire; a multiplicity of rigid studspartially embedded in the holes respectively in the bottom of the mat,each stud having an axial length less than the thickness of the mat forseating in a hole therein, each stud having a head at one end, acylindrical body integral with the head, and an integral pin portion ofreduced diameter extending axially outward of the cylindrical body, saidstuds being partially inserted in said holes with the heads and bodiesremovably engaged in the holes and with the ends of the pin portionsextending out of the bottom surface of the mat for digging into andgripping the ground under the weight of the vehicle on the mat; and aplurality of other integral, resilient, transverse parallel ridges onthe bottom surface of the mat between said pin portions of the studs,ends of the pin portions being substantially coplanar with said otherridges for cooperation therewith in holding the mat stationary onslipper ground, said ridges being compressible so that the flat bottomsurface of the mat between the studs grips the ground by suction whenthe weight of the vehicle rests on the mat.
 2. A traction pad as definedin claim 1, wherein said mat is rectangular in plan and has beveledupper end edGes slanted outwardly from the top to bottom surfaces tofacilitate driving the vehicle on and off the mat, said mat furtherhaving lateral beveled edges for snugly fitting on the floor of theinterior of the vehicle when the mat is stored thereon.
 3. A tractionpad as defined in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body of each stud isformed with circumferential grooves and further ridges to lock the studsin the holes in the mat.